"Letter From America" is a pop song written and performed by Scottish band The Proclaimers that appears on their debut album This Is the Story.
Lyrically the song reflects Scotland's long history of emigration with Scots leaving behind economic depression in their own nation to start new lives in America and Canada. There is also an allusion to the enforced emigrations of the Highland Clearances when wealthy landowners forcibly evicted whole communities in order to turn their land over to the more profitable enterprise of raising sheep.
The song was later recorded in a fuller arrangement with producer Gerry Rafferty and became a hit in December 1987 reaching #3 on the UK singles chart. The 12" vinyl single of the song featured an unusual pressing, with the two versions - acoustic and orchestral - interwoven on the same side of the disc, so that placing the needle on the record would result in a random playing of one or the other version.
The song is featured in the 1991 film The Commitments playing in the background at a wedding; it is cited as something approximating music after the music played by the trio performing at the wedding is criticised as "shite" by Jimmy Rabbitte.
In June 2008 the Reid brothers performed an acoustic rendition of the song as part of The-Fly.co.uk's ongoing 'In The Courtyard' sessions. http://www.muzu.tv/thefly/the-proclaimers-the-proclaimers-letter-from-america-flytv-in-the-courtyard-music-video/236901
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